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With Friends Like These
"With Friends Like These" is the fifth chapter of The Last Son, Book Two: Reckonings. Boom Boom flirts with Nightcrawler, and then gets a visit from her criminal father who wants her to commit a crime for him. Plot Superman and the New Mutants conduct their training session on the rear cliff overlooking the sea outside the Institute, as the Danger Room hasn't been repaired from the damages caused by the Phoenix. The New Mutants are given the objective for each of them to rapel down the cliff, safely strap the victim – Nightcrawler – into a stretcher, and lift him to safety. Boom Boom (Tabitha) is given a turn to lift Nightcrawler down; but she carelessly threw one of her explosives onto the side of the cliff, causing numerous rocks to break off the cliff and raining down, causing Nightcrawler to fall off the cliff and knocking him out, as he plummeted towards the water. Superman instantly darted down, catching his teammate and carrying him over on his shoulder, before flying up and grasping the stretcher-cable, towing it and Boom-Boom up. Nightcrawler is unhurt and Superman dismiss the session before giving a stern scolding to Tabitha and her utter disregards to her training and safety for the others; in which he punish her by confining her to Institute grounds; except for school hours, which she is to stay on campus until further notice. After dismissing Tabitha, Superman is met with Scott, whom Superman explains to him what occurred in the session and question why he is given the task as instructor, as he believe he doesn't fit this role. Scott reasons that even though it isn't easy, there are lessons to be learn and that he is an inspiration to the New Mutants who in turn looks up to him, and the problem with Tabitha is that she isn't inspired and Superman needs to help her with it. At the Bayville Boarding House, Pietro checks for anything to eat but find there aren't any food left. The Brotherhood realize they are without any stocks nor money, leaving them to consider having a loan from Siryn, who has been currently doing some research. They unanimously decide to go to school for the prospect of free lunch. Meanwhile, Tabitha uses her powers to open up her locker. This is seen by Kurt, who lightly reprimands her. Tabitha, however, sees that using powers is for their own personal leisure. She "borrows" a textbook from Kurt and runs off to her class, but runs into Michael Smith, her father. Tabitha is horrified in seeing him here. Her father claims that he is amending his relationship with her mother and needs Tabitha's help. Tabitha knows well that her father intends to use her powers for theft and immediately walks off. Clark returns to the Institute and receive a letter that confirms that he'd been selected for the intern-program and will be notified which newspaper he was to intern at. As Clark heads to his room, he catches Professor Xavier having a heated discussion with Michael Smith, as the latter is legally forbidden to visit his daughter. Michael threatens Xavier in revealing the public of the Institute if he doesn't see his daughter. He is then back off by Clark and Logan. After Smith left, Xavier tells Clark of who Smith is, in which Clark understands Tabitha's situation, and making sure Smith is kept away from Tabitha. That night, the Institute students goes to the school's carnival except for Kurt, who is doing his homework assignment thanks to Tabitha "borrowing" his textbook. However, Tabitha pester Kurt into using his powers to teleport themselves to the carnival despite Kurt's protest that she is still grounded to the Institute. But Tabitha finally convince him. At the carnival, Scott and Jean finally developed into a relationship. After dodging from a wrathful Duncan, the couple's moment is ruined when seeing Kurt and Tabitha; forcing them to go after the troubled youths. While having their fun, Tabitha sees her father after dismissing Kurt to commit one last felony before seeing her father away. Smith leads Tabitha to the high school and into the office where the safe containing the money deposited from the carnival attractions. Tabitha use her explosive to blow the safe's door off to procure the money. As Tabitha reluctantly runs with her father, the Brotherhood had been following them and decide to steal the money. Clark is also at the carnival interviewing the school staff about the carnival's success. He sees Tabitha, her father, and the Brotherhood. He goes into a dark alley and changes into his costume. Pietro steals the money from Smith and flees with the Brotherhood to an old abandoned house across the school with Smith trailing after them. The X-Men approach Tabitha after learning what is going on. Together, they enter the house where Smith is being toyed by Pietro. The duffel bag containing the money is slip out of Pietro's hand and is taken by Smith and runs up to the second floor with Blob and Tabitha following him. However, Blob's weight causes the floor to collapse. Blob, Smith and Tabitha crash into the ground as the bag fell near Nightcrawler. Smith quickly recover and grab Tabitha at knife-point, and demands Nightcrawler to hand over the bag. Fortunately, Superman arrives and uses his eye-beam to heat the knife that burns Smith's hand and causing him to drop it. Nightcrawler quickly grab Tabitha and teleport themselves away from Smith, who is then blow away by Superman's breath and is knocked unconscious. The X-Men and Superman flee the scene as the police have arrive to apprehend Smith. That evening, Professor Xavier, Tabitha and along with Scott goes to the police station where Smith is being held. Smith has been charged with grand larceny, and Tabitha had simply been put on probation, since she hadn't been an entirely willing accomplice. As the three of them walked out of the station, Tabitha start walking away with the intentions of leaving the Institute as she believes she doesn't belong there. As Tabitha waits at a bus station, she is met by Superman. Tabitha is in tears and request him to go away while admitting that Superman was right about her irresponsibility. However, Superman states he never said that he didn't want her at the Institute and understand that everyone may have problems, but they have a choice; Tabitha only let herself down by choosing it, or she can rise above it and become strong if she can choose for herself. Superman then left her to ponder on her decision. Much later, Superman sees Kurt, who is put on vehicle-cleaning detail for a month as punishment, and explaining about Tabitha's decision on staying or leaving the Institute that depends on her. Within an hour later, Kurt is in the hangar cleaning the Blackbird and hears a door opening. Tabitha suddenly walks in and has decide to stay as she apologizes Kurt for everything, in which he accepts and amend themselves as friends as they clean the Blackbird together. Quotes Jubilee: You have a spaceship? Iceman: Could we..? Superman: No. Berzerker: But couldn't we just..? Superman: No. Multiple: Not even..? Superman: No. That ship is a Trans-Warp spacecraft, the only one ever produced on Krypton...and it is not for joy-riding. ---- Scott: You learn tough lessons every single day, and just when you think you have everything figured out, something happens to throw you for a loop! Trust me, Clark; you're doing fine. After your first session with the New Mutants – after you had to leave – the Professor said, and I quote: "It's as if he was '''born' for this."'' You have nothing to worry about. ---- Logan: I'd listen to him, if I were you, bub. I think you'd rather deal with him than me; yeah, he'd kick your ass a lot better and a lot harder than I probably can, but he'd have to be provoked. ---- Scott: (thinking) Hey, with my powers, accuracy is a must. ---- Superman: Tabitha, no-one knows where their life is going! Everyone has problems, Tabitha; everybody has a story, has something that's hurt them in their lives. And everyone has a choice; you can choose to let it keep you down, and then it becomes your excuse, your reason for why everything goes wrong in your life. Or you can choose to rise above it, and then it makes you stronger. Background information *This story is an adaption of the X-Men: Evolution episode "Bada-Bing Bada-Boom!". *The New Mutants' urge to take a joyride on the Krypton reflects on the X-Men: Evolution episode of the same name. Category:Last Son, Book Two chapters